This is likely due to an upgrade to Sapphire framework which Liferay IDE depends on. Currently it uses 0.5.3 and your system likely upgraded Sapphire to 0.6.0 which is not supported. Here is how you can fix it.

Uninstall Liferay IDE

Uninstall all Sapphire* features

Re-Install Sapphire version 0.5.3 from this updatesite: http://download.eclipse.org/sapphire/0.5.3/repository

I suspect that unistalling Liferay IDE also uninstalls Sapphire as I could not find any evidence of Sapphire in the uninstall dialog after uninstalling Liferay IDE.And Liferay IDE offers to install Sapphire also, so I don't think you need to install Sapphire on it's own. (I installed Sapphire and selecting Liferay IDE dependencies failed the install because Sapphire was already installed.)

I suspect that unistalling Liferay IDE also uninstalls Sapphire as I could not find any evidence of Sapphire in the uninstall dialog after uninstalling Liferay IDE.And Liferay IDE offers to install Sapphire also, so I don't think you need to install Sapphire on it's own. (I installed Sapphire and selecting Liferay IDE dependencies failed the install because Sapphire was already installed.)

Your exactly right, thanks Mikko for following up and glad things are working again for you.

I'm facing a similar issue with the Service Builder Configuration Editor: using "fresh" Liferay 1.6.2 or Liferay 2.0.0 GA1, I always get the "failed to create the part's controls" on any EXISTING service file.

My workaround is to empty the service.xml file with no entites, open it with Configuration Editor, then put back its content.I'm working with a Windows 7 environment, JDK 7 .51.

Thanks for your support.

For any purpose, here is the stack trace:

1 2java.lang.NullPointerException 3 at org.eclipse.sapphire.ui.diagram.StandardConnectionService.list(StandardConnectionService.java:194) 4 at org.eclipse.sapphire.ui.swt.gef.model.DiagramModel.constructConnections(DiagramModel.java:162) 5 at org.eclipse.sapphire.ui.swt.gef.model.DiagramModel.<init>(DiagramModel.java:53) 6 at org.eclipse.sapphire.ui.swt.gef.SapphireDiagramEditor.<init>(SapphireDiagramEditor.java:226) 7 at com.liferay.ide.service.ui.editor.ServiceBuilderEditor.createDiagramPages(ServiceBuilderEditor.java:63) 8 at org.eclipse.sapphire.ui.SapphireEditor.addPages(SapphireEditor.java:487) 9 at org.eclipse.ui.forms.editor.FormEditor.createPages(FormEditor.java:138) 10 at org.eclipse.ui.part.MultiPageEditorPart.createPartControl(MultiPageEditorPart.java:358) 11 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityPart.createPartControl(CompatibilityPart.java:142) 12 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityEditor.createPartControl(CompatibilityEditor.java:96) 13 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.e4.compatibility.CompatibilityPart.create(CompatibilityPart.java:323) 14 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) 15 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) 16 at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) 17 at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source) 18 at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.MethodRequestor.execute(MethodRequestor.java:56) 19 at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.processAnnotated(InjectorImpl.java:877) 20 at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.processAnnotated(InjectorImpl.java:857) 21 at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.inject(InjectorImpl.java:119) 22 at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.internalMake(InjectorImpl.java:333) 23 at org.eclipse.e4.core.internal.di.InjectorImpl.make(InjectorImpl.java:254) 24 at org.eclipse.e4.core.contexts.ContextInjectionFactory.make(ContextInjectionFactory.java:162) 25 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.createFromBundle(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:102) 26 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.doCreate(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:71) 27 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ReflectionContributionFactory.create(ReflectionContributionFactory.java:53) 28 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.ContributedPartRenderer.createWidget(ContributedPartRenderer.java:129) 29 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.createWidget(PartRenderingEngine.java:949) 30 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.safeCreateGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:633) 31 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.safeCreateGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:735) 32 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.access$2(PartRenderingEngine.java:706) 33 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$7.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:700) 34 at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42) 35 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.createGui(PartRenderingEngine.java:685) 36 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.StackRenderer.showTab(StackRenderer.java:1096) 37 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.workbench.renderers.swt.LazyStackRenderer$1.handleEvent(LazyStackRenderer.java:66) 38 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.UIEventHandler$1.run(UIEventHandler.java:41) 39 at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Synchronizer.syncExec(Synchronizer.java:180) 40 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.UISynchronizer.syncExec(UISynchronizer.java:150) 41 at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.syncExec(Display.java:4688) 42 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.E4Application$1.syncExec(E4Application.java:205) 43 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.UIEventHandler.handleEvent(UIEventHandler.java:38) 44 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerWrapper.handleEvent(EventHandlerWrapper.java:197) 45 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerTracker.dispatchEvent(EventHandlerTracker.java:197) 46 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventHandlerTracker.dispatchEvent(EventHandlerTracker.java:1) 47 at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.EventManager.dispatchEvent(EventManager.java:230) 48 at org.eclipse.osgi.framework.eventmgr.ListenerQueue.dispatchEventSynchronous(ListenerQueue.java:148) 49 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventAdminImpl.dispatchEvent(EventAdminImpl.java:135) 50 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventAdminImpl.sendEvent(EventAdminImpl.java:78) 51 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.event.EventComponent.sendEvent(EventComponent.java:39) 52 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.services.internal.events.EventBroker.send(EventBroker.java:80) 53 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.UIEventPublisher.notifyChanged(UIEventPublisher.java:58) 54 at org.eclipse.emf.common.notify.impl.BasicNotifierImpl.eNotify(BasicNotifierImpl.java:374) 55 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.model.application.ui.impl.ElementContainerImpl.setSelectedElement(ElementContainerImpl.java:171) 56 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ModelServiceImpl.showElementInWindow(ModelServiceImpl.java:576) 57 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.ModelServiceImpl.bringToTop(ModelServiceImpl.java:543) 58 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.delegateBringToTop(PartServiceImpl.java:610) 59 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.bringToTop(PartServiceImpl.java:322) 60 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.PartServiceImpl.showPart(PartServiceImpl.java:1034) 61 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.busyOpenEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3112) 62 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.access$21(WorkbenchPage.java:3034) 63 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage$8.run(WorkbenchPage.java:3016) 64 at org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator.showWhile(BusyIndicator.java:70) 65 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:3012) 66 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2976) 67 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.WorkbenchPage.openEditor(WorkbenchPage.java:2967) 68 at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:534) 69 at org.eclipse.ui.ide.IDE.openEditor(IDE.java:493) 70 at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:360) 71 at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.javaeditor.EditorUtility.openInEditor(EditorUtility.java:167) 72 at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:268) 73 at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.OpenAction.run(OpenAction.java:233) 74 at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.dispatchRun(SelectionDispatchAction.java:275) 75 at org.eclipse.jdt.ui.actions.SelectionDispatchAction.run(SelectionDispatchAction.java:251) 76 at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.packageview.PackageExplorerActionGroup.handleOpen(PackageExplorerActionGroup.java:376) 77 at org.eclipse.jdt.internal.ui.packageview.PackageExplorerPart$4.open(PackageExplorerPart.java:538) 78 at org.eclipse.ui.OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper$InternalListener.open(OpenAndLinkWithEditorHelper.java:47) 79 at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$2.run(StructuredViewer.java:866) 80 at org.eclipse.core.runtime.SafeRunner.run(SafeRunner.java:42) 81 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.JFaceUtil$1.run(JFaceUtil.java:49) 82 at org.eclipse.jface.util.SafeRunnable.run(SafeRunnable.java:175) 83 at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.fireOpen(StructuredViewer.java:864) 84 at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1152) 85 at org.eclipse.jface.viewers.StructuredViewer$6.handleOpen(StructuredViewer.java:1256) 86 at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.fireOpenEvent(OpenStrategy.java:275) 87 at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy.access$2(OpenStrategy.java:269) 88 at org.eclipse.jface.util.OpenStrategy$1.handleEvent(OpenStrategy.java:309) 89 at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:84) 90 at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1057) 91 at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:4170) 92 at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.readAndDispatch(Display.java:3759) 93 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine$9.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:1113) 94 at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332) 95 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.swt.PartRenderingEngine.run(PartRenderingEngine.java:997) 96 at org.eclipse.e4.ui.internal.workbench.E4Workbench.createAndRunUI(E4Workbench.java:138) 97 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench$5.run(Workbench.java:610) 98 at org.eclipse.core.databinding.observable.Realm.runWithDefault(Realm.java:332) 99 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.Workbench.createAndRunWorkbench(Workbench.java:567)100 at org.eclipse.ui.PlatformUI.createAndRunWorkbench(PlatformUI.java:150)101 at org.eclipse.ui.internal.ide.application.IDEApplication.start(IDEApplication.java:124)102 at org.eclipse.equinox.internal.app.EclipseAppHandle.run(EclipseAppHandle.java:196)103 at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.runApplication(EclipseAppLauncher.java:110)104 at org.eclipse.core.runtime.internal.adaptor.EclipseAppLauncher.start(EclipseAppLauncher.java:79)105 at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:354)106 at org.eclipse.core.runtime.adaptor.EclipseStarter.run(EclipseStarter.java:181)107 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)108 at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)109 at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source)110 at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source)111 at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.invokeFramework(Main.java:636)112 at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.basicRun(Main.java:591)113 at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.run(Main.java:1450)114 at org.eclipse.equinox.launcher.Main.main(Main.java:1426)